Lateral with Tom Scott 156: Newspaper espionage
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Oct 3, 2025 
Join Colin Felton, a trivia podcast co-host, and Karen Chu, a fellow trivia expert, alongside puzzle writer Daniel Peake, as they tackle quirky puzzles and wild trivia. They discuss how Alfred Vale's work at a newspaper influenced Morse code design. Dive into the jamming avoidance response of Eigenmannia fish, and discover the clever use of special glasses in climbing that enhance safety. Plus, find out why locals move a concrete sphere to mark the Arctic Circle annually. Get ready for a light-hearted and informative ride!
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Strategic Challenge Kept An Invalid Word On Board
- Matthew Tunnicliffe deliberately challenged a valid two‑letter play to keep an opponent's invalid word on the board.
- He accepted a five‑point penalty so he could finish his turn with a 65‑point bingo play.
Newspaper Letter Count Shaped Morse Code
- Alfred Vale counted letters in a newspaper's movable type to optimise Morse code assignments.
- His inventory informed Samuel Morse's code lengths, improving efficiency though Morse got the credit.
Fish Use Channel Hopping Like Wi‑Fi
- Eigenmannia fish shift electric signal frequencies to avoid interference with neighbours.
- This jamming-avoidance behaviour resembles Wi‑Fi channel hopping to preserve distinct signals.